The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1887-11-03
WORTH PRESERVING.
A Beautiful Chapter Resembling the Or
iginal of the Bible.

a BeauCuul CnapGef NeSemOlinS GHe Or.
ignal of the Bible.
Over one hundred years ago the fol-
lowing so-called ''Genesis 81" was used
to puzzle Biblical scholars, and to-day,
were it read aloud in any mixed COM
pany, it is questionable if its fraudulent
nature would be discovered, so beauti-
fully is the spirit and language of the
Old Testament initiated:
l. And it came to pass after these things, that
Abraham sat in the door of his tent, about the
going down of the sun.
2. And behold man, bowed with age, came
from the way of the wilderness, leaning on a
staff.
g. And Abraham arose and met him, and said
unto him. Turn in, I pray thee, and wash thy
feet, and tarry all night and thou shalt arise
early on the morrow and go thy way.
L. But the man said Nay, for will abide
under this tree.
s. And Abraham pressed him greatly; so he
turned, and they went into the tent, and Abra-
ham baked unleavened bread, and they did eat
g. And when Abraham saw that the man
blessed not God, he said unto him: Wherefore
dost thou not worship the Most High God, Gre
ator of Heaven and earth!
T. And the man answered and said: I do not
worship the God thou1speakest of, neither do
call upon His name; for have made to myself a
God. which abideth alway In my house and pro-
yideth me with all things.
g. And Abraham's zeal was kindled against
| the man, and he arose and drove him forth with
| blows into the wilderness.
| @ And at midnight God called unto Abraham
| saying: Abraham, where is the stranger?
10. And Abraham answered and said: Lord
| he would not worship Thee. neither would he
| call upon Thy name, therefore have driven him
| fooa inf fho wild
H. And God said: Have not borne with him
these hundred ninety and eight years. and nour
| ished him. and clothed him, Notwithstanding
| his rebellion against me, and couldst not thou
| that art thyself sinner, bear with him one
night?
12. And Abraham said: Let not the anger o.
| nv Lord wax against His servant; 10! have
sinned. forgive me, pray Thee.
| 13 And Abraham arose and went forth lntt
the wilderness, and sought diligently for the
man, and found him and returned with him t.
the tent and when he had entreated him kindly
he sent him away on the morrow with gifts.
d. And God spal1e again unto Abraham say
ing: For this thy sin shall thy seed be afflicted
four hundred years in strange land.
15 But for thy repentance will deliver them
and they shall come forth with power, and will
gladness of heart and with much substance.
In 1859, when in England as agen
for the Colony of Pennsylvania, Benja
min Franklin privately printed thi
Chapter, as he always termed it
Taking only sheet of paper, he KEEP
it laid in his Bible at the end of Gene
sis, and used to amuse himself by read
ing it aloud to his friends and hearin,
them express their surprise that the
had never recollected reading it, an
] their openly expressed admiration G
/ the moral it carried with it. Its origi
is unknown. 1t has been traced bac
D seven hundred years to a Persian poe
a who simply says lit was so related.
1t must be very old. .-Chieago Journa